Your baby is born with a natural instinct to suck. Her feedings alone can't satisfy this reflex, so she sucks on her fingers, thumb or pacifier. This activity gives her pleasure and helps her feel secure.
As your child gets older, he may break the binky or thumb habit all by himself. Many children stop by the age of 2. Experts agree that after age 4, pacifier use and thumbsucking can affect the development of the teeth and gums.
Breaking the habit
What can you do to help your toddler or preschooler break the habit? More important may be what not to do. Nagging your child, pulling the thumb or pacifier from her mouth, teasing her or punishing her will just increase her stress. And when she's stressed, that's when she needs her binky or thumb the most.
When you think your child is ready to break the habit, explain that giving up the thumb or binky will help him have healthy teeth. If he wants to stop, take the following steps. If he's not ready, wait until he is.
- When he is sucking his thumb for security, focus on what's making him feel anxious. Give him lots of affection and comfort.
- Praise him when he isn't using the pacifier at a time when he normally would. Tell him you're proud of his efforts.
- Start a sticker chart and reward him for his progress.
- If he is sucking his thumb, distract him with an activity to keep his hands busy.
- Ask if he'd like to put a colorful Band-Aid on his thumb as a reminder to keep it out of his mouth.
- Have a special place for the pacifier - out of your child's reach - so he needs to ask for it if he wants it.
Nighttime thumbsucking
The benefit of a pacifier is that if your child wants to give it up, you can take it away. But if she sucks her thumb, quitting is a little harder, especially at bedtime.
Once asleep, your child can't control her thumbsucking. Explain to her that it's not her fault if her thumb has a mind of its own and sneaks into her mouth while she's sleeping. If she really wants to stop sucking her thumb, ask her if she'd like to wear a mitten or sock over her hand at night. Make sure she doesn't see this as a punishment, but as a fun way to accomplish a goal.
Giving up the bottle
A baby usually can be weaned from the bottle between 9 and 18 months of age. It should be done gradually, using the following steps:
- Give him formula or water in a cup with each meal before his regular bottle. When he eventually takes 16 ounces to 20 ounces from a cup, you can start eliminating the bottles.
- Gradually take away one bottle at a time. Replace each bottle with a cup feeding. Hold your child more often to provide extra comfort.
- Start off by getting rid of the midday bottles, then the morning bottle and, last, the nighttime bottle. This is usually the hardest to give up.
- When it's time to cut out the bedtime bottle, do it gradually. Decrease the amount of formula in that bottle each day for one week.
When your child is completely weaned, let her help you throw away her bottles. Tell her how proud you are of her and let her take pride in her accomplishment.
